Record: Ransomware Attacks Increase 153 Percent in September
New ransomware groups such as RansomedVC are also responsible for the increase. However, LockBit and Clop continue to be among the major players.
In September, the number of ransomware attacks worldwide increased by 153 percent compared to the previous month. This is also the result of the latest Threat Pulse from the NCC Group. According to the report, the groups LostTrust, RansomvedVC, LockBit and Clop were primarily responsible for the increase.
In terms of ransomware targets, North America again topped the list with 258 attacks (an increase of 3 percent). Europe was second with 155 attacks (up 2 percent) and Asia came in third with 47 attacks (up 8 percent).
GDPR as leverage
The healthcare sector saw a 15 percent increase in ransomware attacks. Meanwhile, industrial companies accounted for 40 percent of attacks. Consumer goods manufacturers were targeted in 21 percent of the attacks.
The group RansomedVC made it onto the NCC Group’s list for the first time. According to the report, this group threatens to cause breaches of the General Data Protection Regulation, which could then cost victims up to four percent of their annual global revenue. According to NCC Group, “RansomedVC’s innovative approach” increases the pressure on victims to comply with ransomware demands.
For security experts, however, the significant increase in September did not come as a surprise. “After the drop in ransomware attacks in August, the increase in attacks in September was somewhat expected for this time of year. What stands out, however, is the scale of these attacks and the emergence of new threat actors that have been instrumental in driving this activity,” said Matt Hull, global head of threat intelligence at NCC Group. Hull anticipates that other groups will employ strategies similar to RansomedVC in the future to create more “incentives” to pay ransom.
